All articles tagged with #sleep
Waking up at night to pee is common and can be caused by factors like pregnancy, drinking too much before bed, or age-related changes. While usually not an urgent medical issue, persistent nocturnal urination can disrupt sleep. Simple lifestyle tweaks—such as moderating evening fluid intake, avoiding caffeine and alcohol late in the day, and timing fluids earlier—often help, with medical advice if symptoms persist or worsen.
Columbia sleep-nutrition researcher Marie-Pierre St-Onge explains that a Mediterranean-style, fiber-rich diet consumed across the day—favoring fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains, lean proteins, and minimizing refined sugars—supports better sleep by providing sleep-regulating nutrients, stabilizing blood sugar, and boosting melatonin. Large studies link this eating pattern to less insomnia and longer, more efficient sleep. In her own routine, she emphasizes three-hour-gap between dinner and sleep, a breakfast of high-fiber cereal with banana, lunch featuring sourdough bread with yogurt and fruit, and dinners with fish, legumes, and vegetables, plus dim lighting before bed to cue melatonin and a consistent sleep schedule.
Australian researchers report preliminary MRI-based evidence that ME/CFS patients have reduced glymphatic (brain-waste clearance) function, detected with a non-invasive diffusion MRI approach and most evident in the brain's right hemisphere; the findings, published in Frontiers in Neuroscience, link sleep problems and cognitive symptoms to impaired brain clearance and suggest a potential non-invasive path toward diagnosis and treatment—though the study is small and further research is needed.
Cortisol is essential for waking, metabolism, and stress, but “high cortisol” in online wellness trends is usually not a problem to fix—true high cortisol (Cushing’s syndrome) is rare and requires medical evaluation. A doctor can help interpret symptoms and rule out the syndrome. For common concerns, focus on stress management and overall well-being: identify worrying symptoms, adopt journaling or a stress-reducing hobby, and try enjoyable activities (like art, puzzles, baking, dancing, or reading). Signs like facial bloating or poor sleep often stem from diet, sleep hygiene, or lifestyle factors rather than a cortisol crisis, though persistent symptoms should be discussed with a healthcare provider to prevent complications such as diabetes or hypertension.
A Fox News Health feature highlights eight once-popular daily habits—walking everywhere, getting morning sunlight, spending time outdoors, going to bed earlier, eating seasonal minimally processed foods, doing routine household tasks, sharing meals, and observing regular fasting—that experts say could counter stress, obesity and chronic disease in today’s ultraprocessed, time-crunched life by supporting circadian health, physical activity, social connection and better diet.
A cardiologist-backed guide highlights five practical daily habits to protect arterial health and reduce plaque: 1) 20–30 minutes of morning exercise, 2) maintain a consistent 7–9 hour sleep schedule, 3) build meals around vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, 4) favor unsaturated fats over saturated fats, and 5) manage stress with simple daily techniques; together these repeatable habits can lower blood pressure and support long-term cardiovascular health, in line with the American Heart Association's 2026 dietary guidance.
A Brain Medicine Perspective argues sleep functions as a system-level resilience mechanism that partitions NREM and REM phases to renormalize neural networks, prevent runaway instability, and support continual learning in artificial systems, with potential implications for disorders and recovery after disruption.
A meta-analysis of 23 randomized trials including 2,028 patients with chronic musculoskeletal conditions found melatonin reduced pain intensity by about 9 points on a 100-point scale and improved sleep quality. Doses ranged 3–10 mg (commonly 3 mg) taken at bedtime, with safety similar to placebo and mostly mild side effects like nausea, dizziness, or headaches. The researchers caution melatonin should complement—not replace—standard treatments and advise discussing use with a doctor, especially when other meds or health conditions are involved.
A 10-year study of 3,231 adults started at age 46 found that people aged 40–60 with irregular bedtimes and less than 8 hours of sleep nightly had about double the risk of major heart events (such as stroke, heart failure, or cardiac-related death) compared with those with consistent bedtimes. Wake-time variability didn’t affect risk. The findings highlight the circadian rhythm’s role in heart health and support regular bedtimes and good sleep hygiene: wind down for at least an hour before bed, avoid caffeine and screens, and keep a dark, quiet sleep environment; if you can’t sleep, leave the bed and engage in a calm activity until drowsy.
A Vox-tied look at longevity highlights a potential dementia-reducing link from the shingles vaccine, but the practical core emphasizes four actions: stay socially connected to cut isolation-related risk, follow a Mediterranean-style diet for cancer/heart/cognitive benefits, engage in regular strength training to preserve muscle, and prioritize sleep—especially deep sleep—with a consistent schedule. The goal is to maximize healthy years (healthspan) rather than chasing an arbitrary longevity number, and it’s never too late to start.
Watching sunsets (and sunrises) can trigger awe, shifting perspective away from daily worries, boosting mood and memory, and supporting circadian cues that improve sleep. Regular exposure to awe-inspiring natural scenes may also reduce stress and inflammation and even foster prosocial behaviour, making sunsets a simple, daily wellness tool.
Orthosomnia—a fixation on perfect sleep—can be worsened by wearables, as data from trackers is not always accurate and can spur anxiety about each night's sleep. Experts advise stepping back from the numbers, practicing solid sleep hygiene, and listening to body cues rather than chasing the app score.
Many people fall asleep with the TV on not out of laziness but because childhood associations of voices in another room signaled safety; new research shows that continuous background sound, especially pink noise at about 50 decibels, can reduce REM sleep by nearly 19 minutes per night, a cost that accumulates over time and may affect memory, emotion, and development. The habit serves three functions—sensory masking, cognitive distraction, and ongoing processing during sleep—but the final impact is a less restorative sleep architecture. Changing the pattern usually works best with gradual decoupling (e.g., using a timer or audio-only alternatives) and addressing underlying anxiety rather than simply turning off the TV.
An endocrinologist suggests eight practical daily habits to support hormone health: manage stress, get adequate sleep with a consistent wake time, engage in some movement each day, spend time outside, eat sufficient protein and fiber, and consider light intermittent fasting if feasible—principles that align with overall health guidance.
Experts outline 12 easy changes to slow ageing: add fermented foods and more fiber, cut added sugars, invest in polyphenol-rich foods and high‑quality olive oil, time caffeine and keep a consistent sleep/wake schedule, get hearing checked, nurture social connections, quit smoking, lift weights and do cardio, and practice stress-reduction tactics like meditation—each helping reduce inflammation, support brain and heart health, and extend healthy years. A Nature Medicine study noted faster ageing in people in their 50s, underscoring the value of these accessible habits.